The Beggining Steps
by EdgeShinBono
Summary: introduces the characters for a larger story and leads up to their meeting


In the dream two goddesses came to him, sisters one of fire and the other of ice. They told him of the destruction that would reign down on the world, darkness and destruction that had been building up for over millennia since the fall of the true gods. They said that he was their chosen and that by wielding their divine might he would be able to overthrow the false Gods and free them so that they could stop the torrent that would engulf the world. Yet he would not do this alone, someone would come to him and together they would break the bonds formed by arrogance. Awaking from the dream he found nothing changed other than that night had fallen, and that he was... very hungry. Not willing to risk the rest of his supplies he went to see how the hunting would be, having seen many animals through his aimless wanderings. He had not gone far until he heard voices,  
  
Dwarf, "These tracks are fresh, not more than a day old and theirs no regard to conceal them. He's ether really confident or just doesn't care." High Elf, "His spirit is strong, but chaotic; he might be lost, or confused." Human, a male dressed in heavy, "I don't care but if there are dark elves in the area I'm going to find them." Human, dressed as a priest, "Maybe we should reason with them, they might be peaceful." Human, a woman dressed like a mercenary, "No dark elf is a good elf, they're all the same black skinned scum," Elf, "Not all, but most are. Anyway we should be able to catch up with him soon if the tracks are as old as you say they are," Dwarf, "Of, course their as old as I say they are elf, don't question my judgment," Dropping down and leaning against a tree Sev'on addresses them calmly, "Well the dwarf would be right except you guys are kind of loud. Anyways do you have anything to eat I'm starved," As stunned disbelief begins to form on their face he continues, "If you don't could you tell me if there are any of those antlered creatures in the area, I sure I could catch and kill one for food... that is if their not poisonous, are they?" After getting over the initial shock of his appearance, the confusion from his request and mannerisms left the group in thrall again. The dwarf was first to recover but couldn't seem to get want he wanted to say together for a few seconds, finally spouting out, "Well aren't you the confident one, why don't you tell us about yourself dark elf, which is since this is your last moments." As he says this he begins to unhook the double handed Ax strapped to his back." Sev'on, giving the ax about as much interest as one gives a dirt stain on dirty clothes replies, "Oh, so hostile aren't we, well I don't know why you have this urge to kill me, I haven't hurt anyone, well no one that didn't already deserve it," Mercenary woman, "Don't give us that crap. Your kind has killed hundreds for no reason all," Sev'on, laughing retorts, "So you want to kill me then? It would take more than you have to take me down. I wouldn't bother calling on my allies even if I had any," Priest, a little more than unnerved, "This is getting us nowhere, maybe we should sit down and talk this over like civilized..." Mercenary, interrupting, "Don't buy into his bullshit, he knows he's ventured in too deep and now he's trying to bluff his way out." Knight, "Ok, Look, just tell us where your allies are and what you're doing here and we'll just forget this whole thing happened." Sev'on, "As I told you I'm traveling alone and as for why I'm here, that's really not the issue. I don't even know where I am." Mercenary, "Well if that isn't that the most touching crap I've ever heard, your kind spout out lies like a midday meal." Sev'on, "What's your name, in fact all of you what are all of your names, because I'd like something to refer to you all by, whatever the outcome." Knight, "Fine why not, my name is Leon, I am a Knight of the Realm" Priest, "I am Brian, a priest of" Mercenary, "It's Shiris, not like it will do you any good where I'm sending you." Elf, "My name is Reya Dwarf, "Just call me Geron" Sev'on, "I'm rather impressed, most of you have good manners, some not by the looks of it but most. My name is Sev'on, and for the time being you may refer to me by that, I find this "dark elf" talk offensive." Shiris, "Whatever, your still just a walking corpse, even if you now have a name," Leon, "Agreed, lets just kill him there's nothing honorable about drawing this out," Brian, "Wait I though we were not following that path any longer," Leon, drawing his blade and looking down at Sev'on, "Sorry Brian, I know you think we should give him a chance but his kind is deceitful by nature and I can't let him wander around my country or I would be remiss in my duties." Sev'on, taking a deep bow and standing up smiling, "I'm impressed by your courage, but to be fair you don't stand a chance. Now you have several options but unless you believe you have lived a full life stay you hand." Leon, "You don't know my reputation but I can assure you that you're not giving me the credit I'm due, and with my friends here backing me up you are better of just accepting your fate." Sev'on, "Granted, however wrap your simpleton mind around this. If I was here to kill you I could have done it from my perch in the trees, or when I had you surprised back when I first appeared. I have come in a peaceable manner and without open amnesty once I gave you credit for being more intelligent than most, not prove that you deserve that distinction." Brian, "He's right Leon; it couldn't hurt to take him back to camp and talk this thing through," Shiris, "What? Listen to yourself; you can't just talk peaceably with a dark elf!" Reya "I think it might be best if we do talk this out, I know he hasn't told us the whole truth but the words he has spoken are true, we wouldn't stand a chance against him." Geron, "Well maybe not Elf but I do agree we should talk this out," mumbling loudly, "What's wrong with me, I'm getting soft in my old age, agreeing with an ELF!!" Leon looks the rest of the group and then sheathes his sword, Shiris stares at the rest in disbelief, then storms off. Leon, stunned, walks off after her and they disappear into the woods. Hours later after a long walk through the woods they emerged into a large clearing set with four tents and a cooking fire. Brian, "I am sorry for the initial rudeness, but I do believe that Shiris wants to believe that your intentions are good but it is hard for her. Well it is hard for us all, but harder for her. And Leon, well I think Leon believes that you have good intentions but his status as a Knight of the Realm limits the decisions he can make." Geron, "Now, just to be blunt even though it may seem we are past that point, we still need a reason to trust you." Reya, "I hope you're not too offended, even my instinct tells me that you're going to try and kill us before the night is through," Sev'on, "It's ok but I really don't have a reason for you to trust me, I'm still wondering why you three didn't agree with the rest and try to kill me," Reya, "My grandfather is a dark elf, so I know that looks aren't always what they seem, and I'm a shaman so when we were tracking you I was able to read you emotions in your spirit trail. That wonder and confusion led me to believe that there was something different about you," Sev'on, "Well that is true, I've been lost up here for the past couple of days. Your world is just so much different from the place I came from. You don't see these kinds of gentile creatures there; everything has its own deadly quality," Reya, "Where are you from, and how did you get here, you tracks appear to have just come out of nowhere." Sev'on, "Well how I got here is a really long story and I don't want to tell it now, but as for more specifically I was brought here through a magical gateway that I opened, but the stone I used only works once and shattered after it was opened. As for why, well if I told you the whole story of how, you would also get the why, but again more specifically I came to get away from my past and start again." Reya, "You do realize that doesn't help us trust you," Sev'on, "Well neither in this. I've already told you that I don't want to be called a dark elf well that's because I'm not one, I know that's what I look like and I know telling you thins will just make you trust me all the less but here goes, I'm a half-fiend," a rather stunned expression flashes across their faces at this announcement, "Oh yes, and not only that but the blood in my veins that of a Balor." Sev'on looks around with an expectant look about him, "Well, come on get up its demon killing time, come on, you guys were wary about me when you thought I was a dark elf now I'm a demon, all the more reason to kill me." Reya, overcoming her surprise with anger first spouts out, "That's not funny, you can't joke with something like that." Sev'on, "I'm not joking, honestly I wish I were but its no joke, just the unfortunate truth that I can't change." Geron and Brian, after having overcome the shock of the announcement actually flee in blind terror, however not looking where they are going they bowl over both Leon and Shiris, which the sudden appearance of the two actually manages to make Brian faint from the repetitive shocks to his system. Leon, "What the Hell?!?" looking around he notices Sev'on standing up next to Reya who appears very well shaken, but not as extremely disturbed by the sudden revelation that Leon has not yet gone through. For about two minuets they stand their, Sev'on and Reya, just looking at each other. During that time Geron slowly begins to fill in Shiris and Leon about the sudden revelation and all three draw their weapons and start nervously toward Sev'on, but Reya stops them and amazingly they do. Then she starts, "So then, what are you going to do now?" pausing for a second. She begins again, "I'm still willing to believe that you're not going to kill us, but you obviously told me that for a reason. But why do something like that?" Sev'on, "I needed to know if you would try and trust me if you knew," looking at the fainted form of Brian, and the frightened but yet determinedly angry faces of Leon, Shiris, and Geron, "but it seems I was wrong about you and believing that I went too far, and said too much." Leon attempts to begin speaking but Reya stops him, yet he doesn't seem to be able to get the words out anyway. Reya, "I think you were wrong about them too, this is just now. I'm sure that if you give the initial shock time to fade away they will not feel the same way." Sev'on, "Even so, I think its best that I leave," giving a half-hearted laugh he adds; "besides I'm still hungry." Sev'on turns around and begins to walk off into the woods, behind him an argument begins to breakout amongst the group as he disappears into the trees. Shiris, "See I told you we should have just killed him then," Leon, "Oh my god, he's wandering around again I can't just let him wander around, just imagine the destruction he will cause." Geron, "I don't think we have a choice, I'm full and ready to defend myself but I know that we stand little of a chance against someone with demonic blood." Shiris, "That doesn't matter, once we can get Brian up he will agree that it's necessary for us to kill him now," Leon, "We can't just let him go; we have to stop him, one way or another."  
  
Reya, "Let me try, I think he would be more willing to talk to me." Shiris, "What? Why? No, were not going through this talking thing again, all it did was make us realize that were going to have to kill him." Reya, "He's not a bad person, you know I can sense that its part of the magic I possess. Yes he is a half-fiend but that's his parent's blood each person can't be defined by their history but their actions." Shiris, "You don't know what you're talking about. He's a fucking demon and that..." Reya, "You know what, just stop, your pre-justice is really wearing on me. I'm going to talk to him, and you guys are going to stay here and when we come back, you will not try to kill him, because honestly it is suicide and he's not going to hurt us." Glancing at each in turn she turned and ran off into the woods.  
***  
At the base of a mountain hours north of where he met the humans Sev'on stops for a minuet to ponder the ever-growing and difficult to answer question of what to eat. Night was fast approaching and the cold air was blowing thick clouds down from the mountains ledge. Hearing movement from the direction in wince he came he leaped to a ledge about 100 feet above him a feat not accomplishable by any normal person. From the trees Reya appeared, rather hurried and following the trail Sev'on had left behind. Pausing at the base of the mountain she looked around as the trail abruptly ended.  
Reya, calling out, "Sev'on, hey are you here or did you just disappear the way you came?" Her voice echoed throughout the grove, and for a minute as the echoes died down there was no sound, finally standing up and coming to the edge of the ledge he had leaped to he looked down at the figure below him. She stood there looking around for some sign of him. The clouds were gathering overhead and a strong wind blew the cold air down on them. Shivering against the onslaught of cold weather Reya was shivering in her forest cloak and skirt, almost in unison with the winds the clouds broke and it began to rain. The storm came fast and even as she sought cover under the trees, she soon realized that it would take more than the forests canopy to protect from the storm approaching. But even as she turned to try and run back to camp before the worst hit the rain seemed to stop falling on her even though she could still hear the sounds of the storm. Sev'on, "I'm sorry that you chased me into this storm, but I didn't think anyone would follow me." Turning around there was Sev'on standing no more than a few inches away, but he looked different than how he had before, he was standing there with a pair of purple leathery bat wings. His cheek bones had grown more prominent, rigged, and his eyes, having sunken deeper into his face, were slitted and yellow. Sev'on, "There is a cave where you can get out of the rain, or if you prefer I could take you back to your camp," She stared at him for a minuet, then that turned into two. The falling rain slowly droned on. They stood there, Reya shivering in the cold air and Sev'on continuing to stand and have the rain wash over him. Another minuet passed, and another. Finally he stepped forward and brought his wings over both of them and stepped closer, with the two wings protecting them from the wind and rain. There they stood until the wind stopped and then he turned his back to Reya, beckoning her to follow him and walked off. All of a sudden he stopped and turning to face her asked, "Why did you come out here looking for me? Why in the name of the abyss possessed you do that?" Reya, looking up hesitated before she answered. "I don't really know, I guess I was just worried about you. You didn't even say goodbye to me, I only came here because you left before we even had a chance to say anything, we... Sev'on, responding with a touch of malice but pausing to curb his tongue, "You're friends expressed enough; I didn't need to hear the words," Reya, "But still I didn't. And you left even after everything I said that you still left. And now that I came in word and deed you still doubt that I'm willing to trust you." Sev'on, "How do I know you didn't bring you friends with you to bring me down?" Reya, almost with what you would call a beaming smile an her face spoke in the language of the elementals of the power to wind and when she dropped her and the echo of faded voice filled the air. Heard in an echoing and fading away voice, "Leon, "Ok, Look, just tell us where your allies are and what you're doing here and we'll just forget this whole thing happened." Sev'on, "As I told you I'm traveling alone and as for why I'm here, that's really not the issue. I don't even know where I am." Shiris, "Well if that isn't that the most touching crap I've ever heard, your kind spout out lies like..." then the noise fades softly away." Sev'on attempted to answer but she stops him, putting a finger to his lips. Looking up at him she places her head against his chest the wet robes surprisingly warm. Mumbling into his chest she simply says, "The rain's starting again," Noticing that he had wrapped them in his wings and the rain was beginning to come down hard. Pulling his arms around her she felt the same warmth in his arms as well, fighting off the chill of the rain. Opening her eyes she first noticed that his wings were no longer covering her and then that the ground was far below. Almost letting go she slipped and dropped and inch before he caught her. Looking up she found him looking sown at her with concern as he hovered in midair. Unable to speak for the wonder of the scene beneath her, she pressed herself his embrace, looking in awe as the world grew smaller and smaller. Soon he stopped again his wings beating the air, before them was a cave, Sev'on began, "I already asked you once but I'll ask again... where to, your camp or here? Until the rain let's up that is." Reya, "Let's wait out the rain, with any luck it will still be raining when we awake." Landing softly Sev'on letting her go walked into the entrance. The cave was dark but that handicap was nothing to him, and the black shroud inside the cave looked as bright as day, and although her sigh not nearly as good Reya had little problem navigating the cave. Even so when he offered his hand to guide her she still took it. Inside the cave was even colder than the outside now that the rain wasn't constantly pounding down on them; their clothes began to dry in the cold night air made her shiver. Letting go of her hand and walking deeper into the cave Sev'on approached a stack of logs, left there by some long ago traveler. Arranging them into a fire tent, and then holding a ball off flame in his hand he reached out an allowed the greedy flame to engulf the logs and within seconds there was a nice sized fire going. He turned when Reya grabbed one of his wings to find her wrapped in her wet cloak, the rest of her clothes already laying out by the fire to dry. Offering her his outer robe, surprisingly dry, to wear instead of the wet cloak, soon that was lying out to dry as well. The robe was around twice her size but wrapped up in it she was warm and comfortable, being a gentleman Sev'on had not looked while she changed but now she brought his arms around her as she laid down to rest. Wrapped in his arms and wings she slept soundly though the night even as the thunderous storm rolled overhead.  
***  
The rain continued all the night and was showing no signs of stopping. They passed the time by telling stories; though Sev'on didn't have many to share he sat and listened. And so the morning passed on by, the afternoon was fated to be more interesting. Reya was sitting out by the mouth of the cave when Sev'on walked up. His wings from the night before were gone, his face was back too normal as well; his fine ebony skin was unmarred by the bone structure so dominant the night before. And his eyes, she hadn't noticed before, but the silver orbs captured the light, allowing it to dance within. Yet that was not all, as he sat down next to her she felt like she was being drawn into their bottomless depths. Sev'on, speaking up brought Reya out of the spell, "Do you want to go back to your camp now?" Reya, still dazed from her journey into his soul looked up and said, "What? Umm, no I'm not going back now." Standing up she grabbed his hand and pulled him back into the cave toward the warmth of the fire. They sat against the wall of the cave closest to the fire; Reya drew his arms around her and laid her head back against his shoulder. Sev'on, "Why is it that you want to stay here? The rain isn't that bad. I could return you to your friends without you getting wet." Reya, ignoring his question she asked "How come you looked different last night? Now, you look like and ordinary dark elf, but last night you were different," Sev'on, "It's complicated ..." Reya, "What is it? I want to know, you act like everyone will hate you for no reason." Sev'on, "No, It's just..." Without waiting for him to finish, she turned around, pulled herself up to him and they kissed. It is impossible to describe the feeling you experience when it happens for the first time. Needless to say nothing else matters but the kiss, its something you never forget and something that will always bring you happiness. For these two it was more than just that, time had slowed down and as they embraced hours passed, yet it was nothing but a few seconds. Breaking apart Reya blushed a fine shade of crimson but that could do nothing to hide her smile, pulling herself to him. She tried to avoid his gaze, but could feel his eyes upon her. Their hearts were beating rapidly in sync. Sev'on reached down and lifting her chin he stared into her eyes, and could not help but smile.  
***  
As the rain fell outside the cave they sat warm and dry in, another group not all too far away miserable and cold waited out the storm with quickly disappearing patience. In attempt to remain as warm as possible they had cramped together in their largest tent seeing as it was able to withstand the rain quite well.  
Geron, "Miserable rain, a body can't even get to sleep with all that pounding overhead."  
Brian, "Let's just be thankful for the tree cover, otherwise I don't think that this cover would remain leek proof."  
Shiris, "We should just leave," adding sarcastically, "Reya's a smart girl she'll know where we went after all; she's so much better at seeing things then the rest of us."  
Brian, using a serious tone, "Your right she is, I may have overreacted, but a true demon wouldn't have acted that way. It would have just killed us, especially with my status as a priest."  
Leon. "He may be right, and at the least he has a point."  
Shiris, "So you're taking their side again? Do you even remember last time?!? I was the only one who thought he was evil then and it seems that I'm alone again. Besides we know he's not a true demon, he's a half-fiend, but it still makes him an insane murdering creature of evil and because of that he has to die."  
Their arguing went on for hours until late in the afternoon, before the sun dropped below the horizon the rain finally stopped. Leaving the tents they went to find any dry wood, though not one of them believed they would find any. Leon and Brian ended up coming back with a few logs that were damp but dry enough to light, and by some act of god they had a fire glowing before it got truly dark. Sitting around the fire trying to warm themselves up, the conversation returned to what they should do.  
Leon, "Well Shiris is right in a sense, Reya will know where we went if we do leave, so maybe we should leave in the morning about noon. We'll be able to make it back before dark and it will give her a chance to make it back."  
Geron, "Aye, you may be right lad but what if the girl bit off more than she could chew, she'll be needing us to come and get her out of that fix."  
Brian, "Yes, we can't just leave here behind. We should at least try to contact her."  
Leon, "And how do you suppose that we do that?"  
Brian, "Well I do know of a spell that allows me to talk with someone that's far away, I don't usually keep it in my repertoire, but I could try it in the morning."  
Shiris, "And if it doesn't work, then what?"  
Brian, "If it doesn't work then she's ether magically blocked or dead. If she was sleeping or unconscious, I would still get some sort of message back."  
Geron, "And if it happens that she is magically imprisoned or dead, what then? Do we rush off to save her or do we go back and forget this all happened."  
Brian, "You're saying that if she's dead we just get up and leave her behind."  
Geron, "Yes, yes I am. If she's dead then we can do nothing for her. Vengeance will not accomplish anything especially if we do not know how she died."  
Shiris, "Yes, we will. Who did she go chasing after? Even if you don't believe that he is evil like I do, if she is dead then you will agree."  
With that she turned around and walked into her tent closing the flap behind her. For a moment the only sounds in the night were the crackling snap of burning wood.  
Leon, "What if she really is dead guys. I mean it would be our fault we did just let her go off on her own after him."  
Geron, "It was the lass's own choice boy, don't weigh too much on the maybes and what ifs. Just be sure you know what could but never think too much on it."  
Brian, "I'm sure she's alive anyways. Besides we all know Reya, there's very little that could take her down easily and there's nothing like that in this forest."  
Leon, "If you say so." Standing up, "Well I'm going to get some rest; maybe the rest of you should too."  
As Leon went off to his tent it only took Geron and Brian the time to make sure that the fire would not spread in the night and that it had the fuel to last until morning before they too retired. And so as each member of the group fell asleep in turn they were all preoccupied with down about the revolution's that morning would bring.  
***  
Reya woke up to the echo of droplets falling from the stalactites of the cave ceiling. Opening her eyes the glow of the morning light greeted her through the thin membrane of the wing she rested beneath. Gently pushing it away and sliding from beneath the thin sheet they shared she felt the morning chill waited for her. Leaning against the cavern wall her thoughts drifted back to last night. Looking back, Sev'on was still lying there asleep, he had been awake when she fell asleep last night and had probably laid awake late into the night. Turning back to the rising sun, as its golden light fell over the trees, beating back the shadow of the mountain.  
***  
Sev'on pulled her up to him and they kissed again. Breaking away from the kiss Reya stood up, taking off her cloak and shoes, and placed it off to the side. Lying back down she settled down on him like a cat. Looking down ate her Sev'on reached up and running his hand along her hair wrapping his arms around her. There they lay, wrapped in each others arms.  
***  
Pulling out of the depths of her memories as the mountain wind sprung up she shivered in the cloak. A shadow had come across her vision, looking up to the sun its light was blocked by a leather brown wing. Scooped up and pulled into a soft embrace, she half turned and leaned her head against his cloth enshrouded chest. Surprised she turned and looked up at him, spouting out, "Not Fair!"  
"What is? I didn't do anything."  
"Yes you did," still irritated but smirking slyly "you dressed."  
Absentmindedly running his hand through her hair, "Well then I guess we'll just have to get around that somehow."  
Quickly picking her up and with a single push of his wings they were off the ground and hovering out in the air over the forest.  
Reya, "What are you doing?"  
Sev'on, "Making a point, I am not going to stay up here until I am old and grey which will be long after you are. So you can go back to camp now," looking down at her with a smirk, "or I can take you back and you can dress before we leave. There are no other options."  
Reya, "You wouldn't dare."  
"I would and I will... I'm not going to wait all day for you to decide."  
"Fine take me back," as Sev'on tuned and descended toward the cave she reached up and grabbed his face, making him pause. "I said take me back your going the wrong way."  
"I'm still going to take your clothes with us even if you won't wear them."  
And with that he swooped down the last few feet. Gliding into the cave he landed softly. Stooping down to one nee he put Reya down. Walking over he reached down and picked up her clothes where they lay and wrapped up the sheet. Kicking dirt on the fire he walked back to where she stood, offering her the bundle with her clothes wrapped in it. Grabbing the bundle with her best pout she walked back into the recesses of the cave and dressed.  
Shiris, "Why are you so insistent that I leave?" coming back to the entrance dressed and armed.  
"I am insistent because I do not wish your friends to believe you dead or imprisoned and blame me." Turning he held out his hand, she took it and holding her in his arms took off towards camp, not sure of what would await them.  
*** 


End file.
